Comments on: Best Practices: Travel Websites and Mobile

By: Jeremy Kressmann

Jeremy Kressmann — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:17:33 +0000

David, this is a great point. A lot of websites haven’t quite figured out that an increasing amount of traffic is now coming from mobile and the content needs to be accessible. I think one of the few industries that’s gotten it “right” so fair are the airline sites.

One quick update on the “m.” and “.mobi” rule you raised – a mobile-optimized site doesn’t need to have these modifiers in the URL. Our company has created a few that simply redirect the user from the main URL with no other action necessary. Check out our trends and insights blog on mobile for more info: http://www.mobilebehavior.com/next-great-thing

By: GreenSudbury

GreenSudbury — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 17:58:20 +0000

Thanks Todd:
I like that you are also exploring some of the more cutting edge mapping and mobile applications. I’ve just started a GreeenSudbury map at OpenGreenMap.org and realize there is so much to learn about Google Earth, GPS etc. I post a daily news roundup from Northern Ontario at http://GreenSudbury.ca and often check your great stories and informative posts.
Keep up the good work1

By: David Janes

David Janes — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:08:19 +0000

I think with WAP it doesn’t really matter, unless you’re getting into graphics. Text will resize to the appropriate sign anyway.

If you use an automatic redirect to the mobile, it won’t matter if you link back to the main site: when they click on the link, they’ll just end up back on the mobile site!

By: Wendy Mac

Wendy Mac — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 15:52:27 +0000

I’m thinking we’re going to opt for the server side redirect to our new WAP pages for handhelds by editing the .htaccess file and including the code found on this helpful site.
http://dev-tips.com/featured/redirect-iphone-blackberry-palm-requests-with-htaccess

That way, the iphone, blackberry and palm apps will automatically be shown the new url.

Of course I’ll always include a link back to the main site.
Any advice on the screen dimensions we should be designing for if using a universal redirect such as this?

By: David Janes

David Janes — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Yes, this is an excellent point. Note that Google’s first big breakthrough (in the web world) was that the search page should minimize distractions – a field & a couple of buttons. This model has to be everywhere in mobile.

On the iPhone, any place you _display_ a telephone number should be click to automatically dial it! I believe this will work on the BlackBerry too, but I’m not sure if non-sophisticated browsers on Nokias and what-have-you will recognize the “tel:” URL link to automatically dial. Ah well.

By: Todd Lucier

Todd Lucier — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 23:49:57 +0000

Thanks David.
I had a thought the other day that as screen size decreases, the time commitment of the user decreases as well. Mobile sites need to get to the point much more quickly than websites in general – NO DISTRACTIONS. Handheld users are even more likely to be multi-tasking and want the information NOW. It also needs to be place relevant. It has to answer my needs as I stand HERE in your community or en route.
So DMO’s and travel regions need to be smart about their mobile Web presence and design it with a deep understanding of the needs of travelers in their region.
Lastly – make sure your phone number is always prominent. Since this mobile user is holding a phone, you might intuit, that they would appreciate being able to call someone.
Thanks again David.